


Army with a State - The Giants are Coming!

by Bomber_Harris



Series: A Candle's Fire [3]
Category: Kino no Tabi | Kino's Journey - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gun Violence, Mercenaries, Nonbinary Character, Political Philosophy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 21:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bomber_Harris/pseuds/Bomber_Harris
Summary: Kino takes up a guard job for a particularly rich country, filled to the brim with mercenaries and vagabonds of all stripes.
Series: A Candle's Fire [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163486





	Army with a State - The Giants are Coming!

The night sky which stood above all opened up to release what could only be described as a bombardment of rain on whatever was below it. Strong gusts of wind made the trees violently buckle and shake from side to side, and in the distance the roar of thunder echoed throughout the land. The shining light of the moon pierced through it all, providing light to the few wanderers caught in the weather. One of them could be seen driving along a dirt road that went along a river which weaved about. The driver looked young, likely having just become an adult, and had covered their body with a long brown trench coat and their head with a hunting hat. Their eyes were protected by wide-brimmed goggles, and their mouth and nose was hidden under a face warmer. Their vehicle was a motorrad*, which had two black boxes mounted along each side in the back and was illuminating the path ahead with a headlight. The road itself was starting to have worse and worse traction, and each turn was getting more harrowing.

“How much longer do we have to go, Kino?” A voice asked; it sounded at once young and somewhat metallic. “I really don’t want to take any chances in this weather.”

“We won’t make it to the next country with rain like this.” The rider named Kino responded; their voice was ever-so-slightly high pitched, and much calmer than the previous speaker. “Our best bet is to find someplace to rest for the night and go from there.”

“Any ideas?”

“Still working on that part. Just hang tight for now, Hermes.” As they spoke, Kino turned a tight corner on the road, causing some mud on the ground to fly up and fall down into the river. The metallic voice shrieked in terror.

“Kino! Be careful!” Hermes cautioned.

“Apologies, Hermes.” They gently patted the top of the gas tank that was mounted in front of the rider’s seat. “You have to admit that was pretty good though. Going that fast in this weather and still turning on a dime like that is something to be proud of; you’ve still got it.”

“Well, I won’t have “it” if I’m a bunch of bolts floating down the river.” The motorrad responded. The two pressed on as the rain poured down, while the rider Kino looked on for shelter of some kind. Up ahead to the right side of the road, they could see a decently sized cave inside a mountain. The mountain itself looked incredibly steep from that side, with the cave itself sitting below it’s almost perfectly smooth surface. The traveler drove along before turning to the right and into the cave itself, coming to a stop below its roof. 

Mineral stalactites poked out along the top of the cave, and a sort of barrier formed by stalagmites prevented easy access from that side of the cave to the other. The traveler took off their overcoat and hung it from one of the stalagmite rocks in order to dry off, and they did the same with their hat and face warmer as well. Kino’s hair, brown and cut short, was drenched even with the protection of the hat, and their clothes underneath was soaking wet as well. They grabbed from one of the boxes on Hermes’ side a small collection of wood, leaves, dry grass and a matchbox and quickly started to set up a fire. As they began to set up the wood and bunch the leaves and grass together, the traveler looked up for a brief moment.

“I’m a little worried about this next country, to be honest.” Kino said.

“Worried? How come?” Hermes asked.

“Well, it’s not a country in the traditional sense. Apparently, it’s located entirely on a train which runs through a bunch of different other countries.”

“Wait, so it’s a moving country?.”

“Yup. While we’re there, it’s mostly going to be a work stop. They apparently needed guards to protect the train and I filled out an application at our last stop.” They struck the match on the side of its box and set it alight, throwing it into the pile of flammables they had.

“Doesn’t sound bad at all.”

“Right. But…”

“But?” Kino was silent for a few moments as they got up from where they were kneeling and placed the matchbox back in its place. From the side of the motorrad, they untied a sleeping bag and began to unroll it.

“A country like that sounds like it could be easy to get stuck in. Work visits are already a bit risky, since employers are always trying to rope me into staying so they can squeeze every second out of me. Combine that with a country which is almost constantly moving and that sounds like it could be a pain to find a place to get off. Even worse, I could see myself justifying staying there for longer by thinking that seeing other countries on those stops counted as traveling, especially if it was actually nice to stay in. I don’t want this to be the end, Hermes, and I might need to be extra careful to ensure that it isn’t.” The way Kino seemed to explain the situation made them seem a lot more tense then they had originally let on. The traveler placed the sleeping bag on the ground and sat down on it, quietly watching the fire expand and the sparks fly off. Hopefully, this would warm them up enough and somewhat dry their clothes. 

“If that’s the case, then I hope it’s the worst place on earth.” Hermes remarked. Kino chuckled at the motorrad’s joke.

“That’s one way to solve that problem. I suppose I could also just drive off of the train while it’s moving if it comes to that.”

“Good lord, I hope you don’t even consider that option.” He responded.

“Of course, I was just teasing.” Kino said. “You know what will be nice when we get there?”

“What would be nice, Kino?”

“A warm shower and a decent bed. Doesn’t have to be amazing; just decent.”

“Well, you’ll get one tomorrow, I figure.”

“I can’t wait.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really now? You’re the traveler?”

“I am. Is something the matter?” Kino asked. Along the railroad where this train-country had been stopped, a station had been set up for those who had applied and been accepted for temp work. The train itself was massive; each of its cars was protected by black metal plates which had been stacked up on each side. Some of the cars even had large artillery pieces mounted on the top with protective barriers defending the crew, and one could see a repair crew operating on the wheels of a car way to the back of the train.

The man working the station looked a tad older than some of the other soldiers walking around; a brown beret rested on his head and somewhat covered his receding hairline. He spoke with a somewhat high-pitched voice and talked quickly.

“I don’t mean any offense, but… you look a bit young.”

“I’m of the age required and I met all the other requirements listed. I don’t see why that should be an issue.” The man at the desk scratched his head.

“Listen boy,” He responded, sounding a bit fed up, “we require people who have a certain degree of competency and experience when it comes to this.”

“I understand.”

“See, I don’t know how they do it from where you're from, but we don’t just hire school boys for this kind of wet-work.” 

“Please stop calling me boy. I’m Kino.” They requested politely.

“Yeah, whatever. Do you even have any persuaders** on you?” He asked. Kino un-holstered two weapons and placed them on the table. The first, known as Cannon, was a Colt Walker revolver. The other, known as Woodsman, was a .22 pistol. “Is that it?”

“There’s also a rifle in these cases here.” Kino pointed to one of the smaller cases mounted on Hermes; inside was a modified M14 called the Flute. The man sighed.

“When did you first start using all this equipment here?”

“Well, I started traveling when I was fifteen, and I trained with the revolver even earlier.” Before the man at the counter could say anything more, he quickly rose and stood at attention as a man walked past the table, and many of the soldiers walking around or guarding the train did the same. The man also had a beret, but it was red and looked intended for civilians. He wore a blue vest which had large gold buttons upon it, and wore a longer coat on his left shoulder like a cape. The man didn’t say anything, and as he walked away, the soldiers went back to their duties.

“If anything that your saying is true, then fine. It’s not my problem if you get killed.” He stamped a piece of paper and handed it to Kino. “This will have the squad you'll be assigned to for your stay. You’ll be serving under Captain Siegfried and are expected to report to him immediately; he’ll be in the car labelled Barracks 2A and is wearing a green beret. Use the ramp to wheel your motorrad up.”

“Understood.” Kino responded. They holstered their weapons, grabbed Hermes and began to walk away from the station and towards the train.

“What a jerk.” Hermes grumbled. “I hope the others aren’t like this.” The traveler slowly brought the motorrad up the ramp attached to the car, the weight of the vehicle making it creak and bend a little as it went up. As Kino looked through the window of the door to the car, they thought they were at the wrong place at first. The inside looked more like a mansion than a barracks; the floor covered by a red silk carpet and the inner walls lined with wood. They could see some soldiers sitting around in luxurious armchairs, smoking fat cigars and drinking copious amounts of alcohol while a waiter with a cart put plates filled with food on the tables in front of them. Looking back on the markings on the car, Kino could see that this was Barracks 2A. They opened the door and walked in with Hermes in tow and were greeted to the sounds of chatter and the clinking of glasses. 

“And who is this now joining us?” One of the soldiers asked; his accent was a bit strange, as every “w” in the sentence sounded like a “v”. He had a standard green camo uniform on and a green beret to cover his partially bald head, and he carried a big grin on his face.

“My name is Kino, and this is my friend Hermes. I applied for a job in this country, and I was told that I’d be assigned to Captain Siegfried’s unit. Here.” They held out the piece of paper, and the man grabbed it and quickly looked it over. He took a puff from his cigar and shoved it in his pocket.

“You’re the traveler, then? What brings you around here?” 

“I needed the money, so here I am.”

“Fair enough. The name’s Siegfried.” He stood up and shook the traveler’s hand. “Welcome to our heaven and our hell!” The soldiers laughed at the captain’s joke.

“Quite the introduction…” Hermes muttered. The captain snapped to get the attention of one of the soldiers.

“Find our new friend here a room!” He ordered. The soldier nodded and exited the car. 

“Is there a shower as well?” Kino asked.

“Of course! What do you take us for?”

“Nothing, I’m just happy, is all.” The captain smirked. 

“Please, have a seat, traveler. Get comfy while we wait.” He insisted. Kino propped up Hermes’ kickstand right next to one of the chairs and sat down in it; Siegfried sat down across from them and took a swig from a large bottle of bourbon. Sitting along with them were a few other soldiers, wearing green berets as well. One of them, a younger man with an eyepatch over his left eye, leaned in close to inspect the new hire.

“Tell me, Mister Kino,” he asked, his voice low and rather hoarse, “what exactly compels a traveler to sign up for a job like this?” 

“Like I said before, I needed the money. Not a lot of other places were hiring right now.” They responded politely.

“Really? You do know what you’re signing up for, right?”

“I mean, it’s kind of hard not to. Almost everyone I’ve seen so far is in uniform.”

“Oooooooh, look who’s getting slick out the mouth! You can tell someone’s a spy when they get all defensive.” The soldier asserted.

“It wasn’t supposed to be an insult. And I can assure you that I’m not a spy.”

“Is that so, Mister Kino? You wouldn’t happen to have any wires on your perso-” As the man tried to reach across and push aside the flaps on Kino’s coat, the traveler responded by quickly drawing their revolver and placing the revolver’s barrel underneath the man’s chin, pressing it up and closing his mouth. 

“Hey, hey, hey! Everybody take a breather, now!” Siegfried insisted. “Ishmael, give our friend here some room, they aren’t a spy. And maybe keep your hands away from that big piece there, Kino.” As he saw the traveler slowly pull the persuader away and the soldier back off, the captain fought back his urge to take another swig of the bourbon; watching the new hire draw so quickly was giving him a headache as is. “Where’d you even learn to draw that fast? I could barely keep track of that thing.”

“I trained to use it for quite some time.”

“See, but that’s more than training. That’s instinct, something a lot of the new recruits lack.” Siegfried noted. “I’m looking forward to working with you. Even if you won’t be participating in offensive operations.”

“Offensive operations?”

“Well, your contract says that you’ll only be tasked with guarding the train in case of attack. People like us are engaged in assaults and counter-attacks; you’ll get paid extra if you do wish to join us.”

“If anyone needs help, then I can lend a hand, certainly.” The soldier named Ishmael gave a snicker at Kino’s response. “Something the matter?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He responded. The soldier ordered by Siegfried to find them a room returned and gave a thumbs up.

“Let me know how you like it. Your comfort is our responsibility.”

“Thank you, Siegfried.” Kino said.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The traveler wheeled their motorrad into the room itself, which was on a cart right next to the barracks. It was quite spacious, with a comfy looking bed and table, a bathroom with a shower, a clothes drawer, a bookshelf and a television. They parked Hermes and took a quick shower, which was interrupted for a moment by the train starting to move. Kino dried their hair, got dressed and emerged from the restroom; it was late in the afternoon and the sun was starting to decline. They sat down upon the bed and felt the mattress with their hands.

“Is it comfy enough?” Hermes asked.

“It’s perfect. The shower wasn’t bad, either.” They said; out the window, they could see the train station slowly disappear into the horizon. “Makes me think.”

“Think about what?”

“How do you think they afford all this? I think I’ll get lung cancer from all that smoke in the barracks.”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they lend out mercenaries of their own?” Hermes suggested. “That Siegfried fellow talked about offensive operations, so maybe they do other people’s dirty work.”

“Maybe, but the fact that they pay for their own on top of all the other expenses of a train and a country makes me unsure. Or who knows, maybe your theory is right.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out before we leave.”

“Now that’s the spirit!” Kino said cheerily. Getting dressed for the job, Kino put over their white dress shirt a green jacket with its sleeves detached, making it look more like a waistcoat. They inspected both of their pistols, taking stock of the ammo for each weapon and cleaning them thoroughly. After quickly coming over their hair one more time, they wheeled Hermes out and moved back towards the barracks.

Within the car, they could see that the mercenaries were continuing to indulge in their food, drink and vices of their choice. Siegfried was discussing something with Ishmael as the traveler walked up.

“What do you need, traveler?” He asked.

“I was wondering where I’ll be stationed.”

“Stationed?”

“Yeah. For guarding the train.” Ishmael grinned hearing the response and took a puff from his cigar.

“Ah, well don’t worry about that for now. That’ll come later.” Siegfried explained. “For right now, we take part in the pleasures of service! Please, join us again!” Kino nodded and sat down across from him, with Hermes propped up on his kickstand next to them.

“What exactly do you mean by “pleasures of service”?” They asked.

“What you’re seeing right now! Everyone who serves in combat is given their rightful reward in this country, as it should be. This is a home for soldiers, a refuge for those who fight and have fought.”

“A home for soldiers? What’s that supposed to mean?” Hermes inquired.

“Alright, who wants to give the history lesson?” Siegfried half-jokingly asked his unit; there were no takers. “Ishmael, you’re up.”

“Whatever you say.” He took another puff of his cigar before putting it out in the ashtray on the table. “Soldiers have always been the ones to do the dirty work of countries, and bare the brunt as well. We serve in combat, fight as hard as we can and return to ungrateful sods who slander and tarnish our name. This is not a relationship of mutual understanding, but of one dictated by politicians and pacifists. For most of history, we’ve had to put up with this; and then came the Director. You might’ve seen him around; red beret, blue cape…”

“I think I did. I remember somebody walking by and all the soldiers standing at attention.” Kino noted.

“Then you saw him. He fought for his country for ages, leading attack after attack on enemy positions. In return, he got nothing; other than a meager pension and a letter from someone calling him a baby-killer, that is. It wasn’t right, and he knew it. So one day, he learns about how his country is developing an armored train to ride along these tracks here, and an idea pops in his head. After gathering some of his buddies and negotiating with the crew of the train, he hijacks it and drives off.”

“He stole a train?!” Hermes asked in disbelief.

“Yup. Now, as you can imagine, this didn’t exactly make him a whole lot of allies, so a new nation was born out of all this. The new constitution recognized that freedom can only be ensured if everyone who can serve does so, and is rewarded properly. For that reason, thanks to the mobility this train provides, we are soldiers without borders, providing services to whoever pays the highest.”

“Now how hard was that, Ishmael?” Siegfried teased.

“A lot easier when I’m not lecturing toddlers with firearms, I’ll say that.”

“Alright, simmer down now.” He chided. “Let’s maintain a degree of serenity in our interactions.”

“So your country is run by the army, then?” Kino asked.

“Yeah, something like that. We provide a service to whoever has the money, and we fill our coffers from there. In fact, we have enough money to hire folks like yourself for just a little extra protection. Just like that, we’ve created jobs and a new source of income for our economy. It’s magic.”

“I see. You’re able to afford all of this because of war.”

“Yup. Any who, I won’t bore you any longer with economics.” He joked. “Do you drink at all?”

“Nope.”

“That’s a shame. You ought to try some of this bourbon; brewed on deck here.”

“Kino’s a lightweight, that may not end well.” Hermes ribbed. Kino responded by hitting the side of his fuel tank with their fist. “Ow!”

“I always find it to help one’s mood along the road. As somebody once said, “it is lawful to use wine not only in cases of necessity, but also thereby to make us merry”.” He quoted. Kino sat quietly for a moment and looked at the bottle of bourbon that was out on the table.

“I’ll give it a shot, then. See if I like it.” They said.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Kino?” Hermes asked his rider.

“Well, it’s good to try new things now and again.” As the traveler spoke, Siegfried got up from his seat and grabbed a tray of ice from a fridge which stood right behind them. He put some ice in a glass and then poured the liquid out until it reached the very top.

“Tell me what you think.” He requested. The traveler picked up the glass and looked within, the brown liquid cracking the ice as they watched. They took a sip before putting it right back down, coughing from the kick it had.

“Wow!” Kino exclaimed. Siegfried chuckled and his smile became wider.

“Something else, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Not sure what I was expecting to happen.” The train itself was now traversing on a long bridge over a river, the sunlight bouncing off the water and illuminating the area for just a little longer until it went away.

“So Kino, have you any stories from traveling?” The captain asked. Kino smiled and nodded.

“Certainly. Let me take another sip and I can tell you a story or two.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Kino slowly opened their eyes and looked around the room, their clothes from yesterday scattered hap-hazardly on the floor. Hermes was parked right across from them, sleeping peacefully. Kino sat up in their bed and slowly got up, patting Hermes twice on his headlamp in order to wake him up.

“Oh, morning.” He mumbled. “You had quite the night.”

“Did I?”

“Oh wow, you really are a lightweight.”

“How many drinks did I have?”

“Two.”

“No, I remember more than that.”

“I counted two. After that, you were smashed.”

“Oh no…” They sat back down on the bed and covered their face with their hand. “How bad was it? I was violent, wasn’t I?”

“Huh?”

“That’s what happens to drunk people, right? They get all violent and mean.”

“What? No, not even close.” Hermes said, trying to comfort them. “Just sit still for a moment. What do you remember?” 

“Alright, let’s see… I remember telling a story to Siegfried and his soldiers. The one about the railroad and the three men working on it.”

“That was a weird one. Good, but weird.”

“Yeah, not sure if that was the best pick to start off with that audience. The guy with the eye patch, Ishmael, fell asleep.”

“What a jerk.”

“Eh, we don’t know how his day was. Could’ve been exhausting.” They said. “After that, I remember having another drink and then telling another story. The one with the shootout between me and that pirate.”

“That’s a good one.”

“After that, I… yeah, I don’t remember anything after that.”

“If you want, I can fill you in.”

“It isn’t too embarrassing, is it?”

“I wouldn’t say so. At that point it was late, so you decided to go to bed early. When we got in the room, you started talking weirdly.”

“How was it weird?”

“You were slurring your words and got all touchy-feely. You were patting me and hugging me and saying how much of a good friend I’ve been.”

“Oh my god…” They murmured.

“Then you said something about how you didn’t feel like a good friend to me, and you started to get really sad. You were saying how you felt like a bad person in general and that you weren’t good at anything other than killing. I tried to cheer you up but it wasn’t really working.”

“Please tell me that’s the end of it.”

“At that point, pretty much. You got dressed and tried to toss your clothes to the side, but-”

“I can see what happened.” They said quietly. “Well, the good thing is that nobody else saw that. It’s also worth mentioning that getting drunk makes you act against your desires and interests, so don’t get any ideas.”

“That isn’t true. From what I’ve heard, being intoxicated just takes the inhibitors that normally stop someone from doing whatever they want off. On the bright side, that’s pretty good for you, because if that’s the worst you got then-”

“Hey, Hermes?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re never speaking about this again.”

“What?”

“We’re not talking about this again. And I’m never putting my hands on liquor for the rest of my life.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The traveler took a quick shower afterwards and got dressed for the day ahead. Kino then spent some time cleaning and maintaining their pistols, followed by practicing their draw for both weapons. They grabbed Hermes and exited the room just as Siegfried and Ishmael were walking by. 

“Morning, traveler.” Siegfried greeted. “How is everything?”

“Just fine. What’s the plan for today?” They asked. 

“For now, we eat. I'll get into it more in just a moment.” He explained. After carefully sliding Hermes through the door into the tight hallway, Kino made their way towards the mess hall, which was composed of five slightly larger cars with tables lined up for the soldiers to sit at. The cooks were serving a simple meal of eggs, bacon and toast, and they quickly slid them down the tables to each and every person sitting. The traveler sat at the very edge of the table Siegfried’s squad was sitting at, propping Hermes up next to them before sitting down. As the cook came over and placed plates down before the squad, Siegfried pulled a small map out of his pocket and put it out before him; it was a general outline of the train itself.

“Alright, listen up everyone!” Siegfried ordered. “We’ve got new assignments for today. According to the intel department, there’s a decent chance that the country just up ahead is going to try to attack us. We can’t confirm it, but it's our job to stand by just in case. So, we’ve got new positions for today.” His talk was interrupted by the man with the brown beret who was running the booth the day before.

“Director says I’ll be working with you lads today.” He said. Siegfried grinned seeing him.

“Excellent, Gallowglass***. We’re just discussing our positions for the day.” 

“Very good. Save a decent spot for me then.” The man named Gallowglass remarked, leaning up on the wall and looking over Siegfried’s shoulder.

“Now, Matthias and Ernst will be stationed at the first mess hall; make sure to grab extra ammo for the M60 while you're moving there. Victor and Ferdinand, you’ll be with the cannon wagon providing protection for the crew. Gallowglass will be with me in the vault, and Ishmael will be joining the scout car in scoping out possible hiding spots the enemy may be tucked away in.”

“Again?” Ishmael complained.

“It’s not that bad, Ishmael. Cool and cozy, just the way you like it.”

“Whatever you say, captain.” He grumbled, picking away at his food.

“Finally, you’ll be stationed to look over the armory right next to the vault, Kino. When the fighting starts, make sure to flip open the metal panels so you can open fire on them; we don't want anyone that isn't us having access to our weapons.”

“Certainly.” They responded.

“Is that pea-shooter of yours going to even have the range?” Ishmael asked.

“It goes pretty far. Even then, I have a rifle to go further if needed.” Kino said politely. Ishmael scoffed and took a bite from the bacon.

“That’s everything, men. Head to your stations when you’re finished!” Siegfried commanded. Kino finished the last of their meal and disposed of their plate in a dirty bin hugging the wall filled with dishes and utensils. They wheeled Hermes along through the vault and towards the armory. The room was dimly lit and quite cold; on the right side was a large door with a number pad right below the door handle. Siegfried pulled up a chair and lit a cigar that he pulled out of his pocket, Gallowglass did the same and Ishmael inspected and cleaned a small pistol with a suppressor as he walked along.

They crossed into the next car, which was the armory. On each wall, persuaders of all kinds were lined up and ammo boxes were stacked on top of each other. Kino parked Hermes and paced around the car just as Ishmael exited.

“Ishmael had a Mark 22 Hush Puppy. Odd pick for a job like this.” They said aloud, looking at all the weapons.

“If you’re gonna talk about persuaders the whole time I’m gonna fall asleep.” Hermes remarked.

“I promise I won’t, it’s just confusing. That’s meant for special forces and spies, not standard grunts. Not to mention that it's more of a “pea-shooter” than the Woodsman is.”

“It’s possible they have him spying for them. Siegfried mentioned that they have a car dedicated to scouting out enemy positions.”

“But a weapon like that isn’t suited for use on a train. Automatic rifles are picked because they can send down a lot of bullets quickly, and so can semi-automatics. You have to push the slide back for every shot on that one, not to mentio-”

“Kino, you’re making my head hurt with the persuader talk.”

“Sorry, just trying to figure this out.” As they looked around the armory, they couldn’t help but be impressed by the quality on display. While the majority were M16 rifles, they could also see large belt-fed machine persuaders, pump-action shotguns and even an old Winchester rifle, which used a lever to load each round into the chamber. Other soldiers walked through to get to their positions, at least half of them smoking or drinking right out of the bottle; the other half openly brandished their weapons without a care.

From a small window on the door to the next car, they could see a small country right up ahead on the train’s left side. It was mostly made up of small, quaint houses and brick buildings which lined up upon two rows of cobblestone roads. A few people could be seen running into their houses as the train itself came into view, putting on the brakes and slowing down.

“Why are we slowing down?” Hermes asked.

“Not sure. If they are planning on attacking us, we shouldn’t be slowing do-” Kino was interrupted by a shot ringing out, followed by a loud blast and a screeching sound. Kino covered their ears and Hermes yelped in shock as another blast roared right after, and they could see two explosions in the country itself. The windows of the cars were now filled up with persuader barrels letting rounds down range, filling the houses and a few stragglers with holes. A few people within the town could be seen firing back with Kalashnikov rifles and SKS semi-automatics; most had civilian clothes and only one had a helmet. 

Kino could occasionally hear Siegfried shouting over the persuader fire, giving orders and calling out locations to fire upon. They un-holstered the Cannon, pulled back the hammer and peeked out the window. The doors flung open and in walked Siegfried and a bunch of his soldiers. They grabbed a bunch of weapons from the walls and began to fill their magazines with ammunition.

“How goes it, traveler?” Siegfried asked as he loaded ammunition into the Winchester rifle. “The cannons are impressive, aren’t they?”

“I couldn’t hear myself think.” They remarked. “What’s the plan now?”

“Me and my men are going to lead the assault. We’ll jump off the train with the other squads once it’s safe and clear the enemy out room by room. Care to join us?”

“I get paid extra as well if I do, right?”

“Of course.”

“Guess I’ll come along.” They took off their trench coat and put it on the seat of the motorrad. “I’ll be right back, Hermes.”

“Good luck, and try not to get killed.”

“Certainly.” The group finished collecting their gear and quickly stacked up at the door. Siegfried pulled a radio out from his pocket and turned it on.

“This is Siegfried, my squad is at the ready. Over.”

“Good. Standby for now, over.” A gruff voice said in response. As the captain put the radio to the side for a moment, Kino watched as the men waited impatiently for their time to strike, talking to each other or looking around nervously. Finally, the voice could be heard again on the radio.

“This is the Director speaking. Commence operation.”

To the horror of the remaining soldiers within the town, they could see hordes of people emerge from the train. As they dismounted, the cannons opened fire once more, blasting away at the machine persuader nests set up in one of the houses right at the front. Mercenaries decked out in Kevlar armor and helmets opened fire as they advanced forward, their bullets smashing into the heads and bodies of the defenders. The defenses quickly faltered as those left alive began to high-tail it out of there.

Siegfried continued to blast away with his lever-action, taking pot shots at just about anyone and anything moving. The mercenaries with him rushed forward into the buildings; all Kino could hear were either the pounding blasts of automatic fire or the screams of those about to perish. The roads were now littered with cartridges, persuader magazines and rubble, and Kino cautiously stepped over them as they walked around. Soldiers were coming out of the buildings with their pockets filled with jewelry and other valuables, and one guy even held an ornate knife with his teeth. 

As they looked to their right, the traveler could see a large pile of rubble within one of the houses. Crushed underneath was a person, a middle-aged woman whose hands were stuck underneath. Kino holstered their weapon and cautiously entered, watching their step and checking the ceiling just so that they didn’t cause anything more to fall. The woman was still breathing, and looked up at them with big blue eyes.

“I’ll get you out of here, just hold on tight.” Kino said, trying to comfort her. They looked at the rubble itself; most of it was just wood from the walls of the house, but a few bricks and roof tiles were stacked upon the woman as well. The traveler grabbed one of the tables and turned it over. Ripping off two of the legs by kicking it as hard as they could, they propped them on each side of the part the woman was stuck in, lifting a bit of the rubble with all their might. Kino knelt down behind the woman and put their arms under her armpits, then pushed with their feet and dragged her out from under. The woman had a soft smile as she was pulled out, and tried to form words with her mouth before quitting.

“You don’t need to say anything. Let me get you to safety.” They said softly, slowly picking the woman up and standing back up. As they walked out the door and looked to their side, they could see Siegfried speaking to Ishmael and Gallowglass while soldiers lugged out paintings and cupboards filled with glass.

“Amazing work, Ishmael. You always impress me with your talents.” Siegfried said.

“Their defenses were pretty light. It was obvious that they weren’t expecting us at all.” He responded humbly; his comment confused Kino, as the captain had said earlier that they were expecting an ambush.

“And Gallowglass, good job helping me with the opening firefight.”

“All in a day’s work, chap.” He responded cheerfully. As the woman in Kino’s arms looked to see the three men, she started to tense up; again, however, she was unable to speak. Siegfried smiled as he saw the traveler approach.

“Good work, traveler.” He complimented before pulling a pistol from his holster and pulling the trigger. The bullet landed right in the woman’s head and flew out the back, landing in the ground below. Kino’s legs buckled for a moment as the body sagged forward, and they quickly stopped her from falling to the ground. The traveler looked up in shock as the three men continued to talk casually.

“That would have been a right mess otherwise. Remember the last time a straggler got loose?” Gallowglass reminisced.

“Oh, that was awful. So much paperwork we had to do, that was nightmarish.” Siegfried responded.

“Don’t forget the press conference after.” Ishmael remembered.

“Oh god!” Siegfried and Gallowglass exclaimed at once, laughing at the memory.

“Hey, did either of you get a whiff of the wine being lugged back? Smelled pretty good.” Ishmael said.

“Yeah, well anything is better than that piss they call bourbon served on deck.” Gallowglass said.

“Oh, don’t be such a snob! It’s quite alright.” Siegfried exclaimed.

“We have the luxury to be snobbish, Siegfried. Not a lot of people can say that.”

“That’s not wrong, I just think you shouldn’t be as harsh.”

“Listen, I’ll buy you some bloody good beer and you’re gonna like it far more than that rubbish!” The men laughed at the joke for a moment. Siegfried stopped and looked down at the traveler, who was staring back with a startled expression.

[ “Everything alright on your end?” ](https://youtu.be/6XCRjM4XMBI)

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mercenaries within the car beamed with pride as the Director walked in. Behind him, two soldiers lugged in a large cart with a cloth covering it, carefully moving it from one car to the next while the train moved onwards to its next stop. Siegfried stood up from his seat and saluted.

“At ease.” The Director ordered. “Gentlemen, phenomenal work today. To have an operation go that smoothly is a rarity. Your squad especially did quite well in both combat effectiveness and the collection of goods following that. Because of that, I have something special for all of you.” He yanked off the tarp to reveal that the cart was full of liquor and food. “Dig in lads!” He shouted, as the mercenaries cheered and moved to grab what they could. Kino sat silently, watching the group dig in with Hermes right next to them.

“Are you gonna grab anything, Kino?” The motorrad asked.

“No, I’m not hungry.” They responded.

“What? That doesn’t sound like you.”

“I’m just not in the mood.”

“Is something wrong?”

“We’ll talk later.” The Director could be seen downing a decently-sized bottle of beer while the mercenaries cheered “Down in one! Down in one!” until it emptied. He slammed it down upon the cart as the men clapped and hollered.

“This is democracy manifest, gentlemen!” He shouted proudly, burping loudly immediately after. As the mercenaries drank and dined, the traveler stood up from their seat and walked over to the Director. 

“Excuse me, but I was wondering if we could talk in private.” They requested. He looked down and lit a cigar.

“I don’t think I recognize you. Are you a new hire?” He asked, smoke pouring out as he spoke.

“Yup. I’m a traveler.”

“Ah, I see. Yeah, sure thing.” The two exited the barracks and entered the next car over. “You know, one thing I bet you travelers know better than anyone is the lack of freedom in the world. People cling to their ways and fight against any encroachment. It’s why we’re so important, because we bring it at bayonet point.”

“I see.” The traveler responded. “I’m not sure how your country goes about these matters, but I saw a mercenary executing a civilian.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. A woman I pulled out of the ruble was shot right in front of me.” They explained calmly.

“Do you have a name? I won’t bring your name up if I speak to them.”

“Captain Siegfried, Barracks 2A.”

“Oh, you mean- alright, okay. Give me a second.” He walked past Kino and out the car. Kino could see him open up the door to the other car and shout “Hey Siegfried! You have a minute?!” followed by him walking back with the captain in tow and closing the door behind him.

“Evening traveler! Good work today.” He complimented.

“Siegfried, I wanted to ask something of you. Me and the traveler were just having a chat when someone came in and told us that they believed you killed a civilian.” The Director stated plainly.

“Oh. Well, that’s not the case. I did no such thing.”

“Oh thank God.” He muttered in relief. “I got scared for a moment, good lord. Remember the press conference?”

“I was just talking about it earlier! What a coincidence.” He said, chuckling a little. Kino looked back at the two men with a perplexed expression.

“Sorry, I’m a bit confused. That’s it?” They asked.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no trial or investigation, or anything like that?”

“Trial?”

“Yeah, you- never mind.” Kino said, much quieter at the end.

“So what were you and the traveler talking about, sir?” Siegfried asked.

“I was telling them about the wonders of our democracy, and how good it is that travelers are getting to see it up close.” The Director said.

“Yes, of course. It’s quite amazing, you know. No other country can say they are as free as we are. That was the fault of the last country, traveler; they were so stuck in their ways.”

“They were buying goods from various revolutionary groups and parties. Scum of the earth, I tell you.”

“Where I come from, we had no tolerance for people like that. Those who would impose equality at bayonet point are not to be trusted.”

“So the country was attacking us because they believed we were a threat to their cause?” Kino asked.

“Well, it’s sadly not that simple.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just one of those days, right? I mean, somebody hears a shot being fired, and we don’t know which side did it, but everyone joins in and starts shooting.”

“So what cause did your country attack them with?”

“They were against freedom, like the Director said. That is enough of a casus belli.”

“Precisely right, Siegfried. Our country goes above and beyond in the preservation of democratic values.”

“One more question, if you don’t mind. I saw many of the mercenaries looting the buildings and houses of the country after the initial attack.” Kino noted. “Is that allowed in your country?”

“It’s not glamorous, but yes.” The Director responded calmly. “Nations which engage in anti-democratic action do not deserve the riches and rewards they often have. Here, it is put to good use.”

“Like the liquor.” Siegfried remarked. The Director laughed heartily.

“Cheers captain, I’ll drink to that!” He exclaimed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the edge of their bed late into the night, Kino let the glow of the television fill the room and burn into their retinas. Without the light on, the only source of light was now a loud and bombastic advertisement for an upcoming movie glorifying the life of Captain Siegfried called _Light of the Moon._ It showed a scene of the actor playing Siegfried wildly swinging a chainsaw at a revolutionary commissar, while a narrator said how “These men are heroes for hire. Violence is their specialty. They are paid to be brave, and brutal.”. As the trailer showed more gore and mayhem, Hermes watched as his rider looked on with a blank, unfocused stare. The motorrad had been around them long enough to know that they weren’t in a cheery mood.

“How are you holding up, Kino?” He asked. They sort of shrugged and continued to look at the screen.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look it. Ever since you came back from the assault, you’ve been acting differently.”

“Yeah, I guess I have.” Kino said quietly. “I figured out how this country pays for all this.”

“Oh really? What is it, then?”

“They loot countries they pass by for everything they have. I saw the mercenaries taking just about everything that wasn’t nailed down.”

“Ah, that makes a lot of sense. They didn’t seem all that disciplined anyways.”

“Indeed. They also didn’t have much regard for the civilians.” They noted. The ad for the movie was now showing the actor playing Siegfried lighting up a bar with a grenade and a machine pistol, just as the narrator said in an over-the-top voice “You don’t kill for women. You don’t kill for diamonds. You kill because you’re paid for it!”.

“How bad are we talking?” The motorrad asked.

“I helped a woman out from a pile of rubble, and I brought her over thinking that they would help.” The two were silent for a moment. The television played another advertisement, this one for a show about the life of Gallowglass called _The Mad Mongoose_. It depicted an elite military unit of the same name training for a mission to save the president of an allied country, while the narrator praised them as “the best of the best. Killers for hire and patriots without mercy!”. 

“I’m not even sure what I was thinking. It sounds stupid, but I thought that they would help or do something.” The traveler explained.

“Why do you think that sound stupid?”

“Because they’re mercenaries. They’re not paid to care. And I was their accomplice.” They said bitterly.

“It’s not your fault that their first instinct was to kill civilians. You did what any other person would do and look for help.”

“You give me too much credit.” Kino responded. “Well, we’ll be leaving this place tomorrow, so it isn’t all bad.”

“Is there a stop up ahead?”

“I forgot to ask. If not, we’ll make one.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Early in the morning, Kino rose from their slumber and prepared for the day. Just as before, they showered, got their clothes on and drilled with their persuaders. They knocked on Hermes' fuel tank twice to wake him and then packed their stuff up in the various cases and bags strapped to him. Wheeling him out of the room and towards the cafeteria, they could see Siegfried and the soldiers enjoying their breakfast and chatting with one another. The captain raised his cup as the traveler came into view.

“Lads, this is the traveler that saved us from doing a day’s worth of paperwork!” The men cheered while Kino kept their cool and showed no emotion on their face. As Kino propped Hermes next to their seat, they kept their head down and waited patiently for the food to arrive. “It’s a shame to see you leave so soon. It’s been a real pleasure.”

“Yeah.” Kino murmured in response. The cooks came by and put down plates of pancakes with sausage links in front of the traveler and the mercenaries, along with a large jug of syrup for the group to split. The group dug in, listening as Siegfried bragged about _Light of the Moon_ and how good it would be.

“It’s got everything, lads. Great fights, spectacular music, diabolical villains, beautiful women, everything. I worked closely with the crew on it, and it’s really something.” He boasted.

“You think it’ll be better than _Mad Mongoose_?” Ishmael asked.

“Easily, though don’t tell Gallowglass that.” He said to the delight of the crew.

“Tell me what?” Gallowglass asked, walking into the car.

“That you’re show won’t be as good as _Light of the Moon_.”

“Ha! Whatever you say, captain.” They both had a hearty chuckle at the joke.

“How many of the mercenaries are involved in film-making?” Kino asked.

“A few. Our country has been working on promoting a film industry of its own. The goal is to create entertaining films that will get more people to consider joining up.” Siegfried explained. “It’s a real treat, traveler.”

“Are there any others who are involved in this?” 

“Ishmael might be doing a few, right?”

“I am.” He responded. “Everybody loves a good spy movie. Sneaking behind enemy lines, taking out guards, faking attacks on-”

“Ishmael, keep it down!” Siegfried scolded quietly. He quickly stopped talking as the room was filled with an awkward silence. “I hope you don’t have the wrong impression, traveler.”

“Wrong impression of what?” Kino responded, pretending to be oblivious and eating away at their pancakes.

“Good. Glad to hear it.” Kino quickly finished the rest of their meal, put their dishes away and walked to the barracks with Hermes in tow. As they sat down to relax, they wondered if the chair they were sitting in was stolen from some unfortunate country along the way; it wasn’t unlikely. In walked Ishmael, lighting up a cigar and grinning.

“How goes it, Kino?” He asked, sounding more politely than normal. “The next stop is going to be coming up in an hour or so. Very pretty country there; good friends of ours.”

“Glad to hear it.” They responded. Ishmael looked out the window at what looked like endless green plains that surrounded the tracks the armored train rode along.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologize for giving you a bit of a hard time. The recruits are often not up to par, so I try to make it clear what they’re getting into.” He explained himself. “But, it’s obvious to me now that I didn’t need to do that. To be honest, I think you’d make a damn fine mercenary.” The compliment made Kino’s blood boil.

“That’s very nice of you, but I’m a traveler. This was always just a way to make ends meet.” They deflected.

“Speaking of that, Siegfried wanted me to give you this.” He walked over and put down on the table a bag filled up with dollar bills. “Seriously, the PR nightmare you saved us from can’t be overstated.”

“Why is that?”

“Huh?”

“Why can’t it be overstated?” They pressed.

“The people who flee the scene spread crazy lies about us. How we’re nothing more than a decrepit warlord state and all that crap. You know now that we’re nothing like that, but a lot of people don’t.”

“I see.”

“You’ve earned my respect, traveler. You really have.” He took out his right hand and smiled. “Let’s shake on it.”

Kino knew on a certain level that what they were about to do was very stupid. They looked briefly at the plains and the sunlight which shined down on them all, before standing up and smiling back at Ishmael.

“I’m glad to see that any animosity between us has been resolved.” They said, shaking his hand with their left hand. “Though I always recommend shaking with your dominant hand.”

“Heh, what fo-” The mercenary’s question was interrupted by a painful and cold feeling in his stomach. He looked down to see a thin, yet long knife had been placed right into his chest. Ishmael looked up to see the traveler looking into his eyes with an emotionless glare. Before he could curse their name, his eyelids began to close and one final, pitiful breath was released from his mouth, like his soul was leaving his body to travel to the beyond. Kino pulled the bloody blade out and let the body fall to the ground.

“I’ll be right back, Hermes.” They said calmly.

“Good lord…” The motorrad grumbled. They sheathed their knife and walked out of the barracks car, entering the next. They could see Siegfried and Gallowglass chatting as they walked back, along with a few soldiers. As the smiling captain tried to speak, Kino drew their revolver and let out a few rounds. The first landed in Gallowglass’ forehead, sending him right down to the floor. Then another shot sailed forth into Siegfried’s shoulder, knocking him to the side and coating the wall with blood. As the soldiers behind them tried to draw their sidearms in time, three more shots bored into their upper chests and put them down. As the room was now cleared of potential threats, the traveler took a moment to breathe.

“Traveler, please…” Siegfried murmured, grasping his shoulder with his other arm and writhing in pain. “I’ll give you whatever you need. Money, food, liquor, name your price. Please, for God’s sake! Listen to me!” The traveler aimed the persuader at his head and fired the last round in the chamber, putting the smiling man to rest. Alarms could be heard ringing through the train, and Kino quickly holstered the weapon and ran back to Hermes.

“That was unbelievably stupid of you! What on earth are you thinking?!” He shouted angrily.

“Compared to what I’m about to do, that’ll seem rational.” They responded. Kino opened the door which faced the back of the train, grabbed the money from the table and put it in one of their pouches, then mounted Hermes and turned him around.

“What are you doing?” He asked, audibly worried.

“You’ll see.” Kino revved up the engines and steadied their breathing. As they could hear soldiers shouting orders and directions, they hit the gas and sped forward. Just as the front tires left the door frame and onto the platform between the train cars, Kino jerked the handles right and launched forward. The motorrad knocked down the handrails and left the ground for a brief moment, sailing past the two cars, before slamming down on the grassy plain. Hermes shrieked in terror as they drove on ahead, and the traveler swerved from side to side to avoid the rifle fire from the train. The train started to slowly disappear from view as Kino drove on, and the rifle fire stopped.

“I don’t wish to sound like a broken record, but what on earth was that for?!”

“I felt like something needed to be done about all that. The events of yesterday didn’t sit right with me, and I don’t like the thought of being a “good mercenary”.”

“So you risked your life and mine in some stupid escapade!”

“Yup.” They responded cheekily. “Don’t be too grumpy, we got some money out of it.”

“You took the money?”

“I thought leaving it would be a good symbolic gesture, but I’m a bit low on cash.”

“Oh, so you’re poor and stupid, congrats!” Hermes shouted. Kino started to laugh so hard that their sides hurt. “Hey, this isn’t funny!” His complaints were overshadowed by his rider’s laughs, and as they stopped for a moment to collect themselves they couldn’t stop themselves from giggling madly.

“Hermes, that’s so mean!” They teased in between their laughing.

“Well it’s true! You just launched me off a moving train after you gunned down an entire squad of mercenaries.” He scolded. "Not to mention that they’ll be coming right for us in a bit, so gather yourself at the least, you absolute lunatic.” After some time, the traveler composed themselves and sat upon the ground, a wide grin resting upon their face.

“I guess I am mad. Better mad than a mercenary, I reckon.”

**Author's Note:**

> *A two-wheeled vehicle. Only notable trait being that it cannot fly.  
> **A gun.  
> ***The nickname derives from the term used to label mercenary infantry in Ireland and Scotland during the Middle Ages.


End file.
